Article

Extreme Weather Threatens American Cities

Without investing in resilience programs, cities affected by the rise in extreme weather events will suffer economic hardship.

Part of a Series

idea light bulb

Weather events have been dominating the news recently thanks to the “polar vortex” that caused record cold temperatures across the nation. But just a few months ago, the news was filled with other events: record rain and flooding in Colorado; destructive tornadoes in Oklahoma; widespread drought in the Southwest; and the sluggish recovery from Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey. Unlike the record cold, however, these extreme weather events are becoming more commonplace.

CAP has identified five growing extreme weather threats to American cities:

  • Heavy precipitation and floods
  • Droughts
  • Heat waves
  • Tropical storms combined with sea-level rise
  • Severe thunderstorms

For more on this topic, please see:

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Explore The Series

Previous
Next

Just released!

Interactive: Mapping access to abortion by congressional district

Click here